In the classroom, every student's gaze had settled on
Brein's greatest interest in the Arcane Academy was illusion magic, and he was well-versed in psychological analysis. He smiled and nodded, repeating the substance of his earlier words: "Yes, you are the most outstanding student in the entire grade on this examination. Congratulations — you will receive that special prize."
It was actually true!
It was actually true!
Ali's mind practically exploded, his clasped hands trembling slightly. Only a few words swirled through his head, rising and falling like waves:
"Observatory!"
"The Atomic Institute!"
"Jane!"
"The vast starry sky!"
"Ali, aren't you going to share your joy and study experience with everyone?" Brein's voice pulled Ali back to his senses.
"That's right, Ali — this is the first time any of us have encountered the basics of arcanology and the fundamentals of Arcane Magic. How did you manage to do so well?" Several students from ordinary commoner backgrounds, just like Ali, began to speak up.
They had only been at the school for half a year and had not yet suffered any serious setbacks. The symptoms of resignation and self-abandonment had not set in — they were still at the stage of desperately wanting to change their destinies through knowledge. So rather than jealousy, what filled their hearts at Ali's miraculous rise in the rankings was curiosity and longing.
Ali stood up and opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly the difficult journey of these past months flooded back to him — scene after scene of sleepless nights and skipped meals. In an instant, a trace of bitterness welled up amid the joy, and his eyes stung. The world around him blurred.
"I… I just kept thinking — my father is not a mage, not a noble, not a banker, not a great merchant. My talent is far inferior to those geniuses who enter the Arcane Academy at a young age. If I want to keep pace with them, I can only work harder than they do, especially during this foundational stage, which isn't overly complex. Lord Evans once said that at this stage, attitude matters more than talent…" Ali's voice was slightly choked as he spoke, saying whatever came to mind, his words a bit jumbled.
…………
Before long, it was almost the Month of Harvest again. The islands under the Council's control had not been attacked by Maldiestos — it seemed all of Its energy was devoted to unifying the various sea clans internally. As a result, Brook had returned to Allinson ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, inside the "Atomic Universe," the complex Magic Circle atop the Tower of Babel was nearing completion, and "the fluctuations of space-time" rippled through the great hall.
"Ready?" Natasha had just returned from Nexer Palace when she sensed the anomaly.
Lucian gathered up the materials used to lay the Magic Circle and nodded with a smile. "There are still a few minor refinements. It should be finished in a few more days."
"It's a shame the '
Without the Shield of Truth's protection, her strength was not sufficient to withstand the extreme temperatures near the sun, so she decisively suppressed the idea. It would be irresponsible to take that kind of risk — irresponsible to her family, her father, and her subjects. After all, Lucian himself was not entirely confident. Who knew whether the teleportation would place them at a suitable distance, or bring them closer to the sun, or even deposit them right on its surface?
Lucian chuckled. "That responsibility falls to Maldiestos."
He paused, then continued: "If we really do manage to locate the sun, you can go see it whenever you like in the future. Oh, right — I have a paper. Could you submit it to Allinson for me while you're there tomorrow?"
Natasha let out a short laugh. "You actually have time to write papers?"
In his urgency to finish laying the Magic Circle, Lucian had not visited the Atomic Institute for two or three months.
"The one I wrote long ago." Lucian pulled a manuscript from his storage pouch and handed it to Natasha.
She took it, her curious gaze sweeping over the text, and read the title aloud: "'On the Discovery of Positrons in Cosmic Rays and Some Thoughts on a Model for the Existence of Matter and Antimatter.' You're ready to submit this paper?"
"Mm." Lucian gave a slight nod. "Once the Observatory is established, the discovery of positrons is only a matter of time — likely within the next year or two. Besides, when we were fighting the Lord of
For a long time to come, this would remain his exclusive magic.
…………
At the beginning of the Month of Harvest, a group of bright-eyed young men and girls arrived at the entrance to the Atomic Institute.
"What will the Atomic Institute be like…" Ali took a deep breath and muttered to Anderson, the boy he had only just met, who was ranked first in his second year at the Second Comprehensive School.
As Ali spoke, however, his sidelong glance kept drifting to the young woman standing not far away, dressed in a simple pale-yellow dress. Her features were delicate, and her slightly curled black hair lay gently and softly over her shoulders — she looked like a quiet, lovable porcelain doll.
At the Hexagram Platform, the students from the various schools had already introduced themselves, so Ali knew this was his pen pal, "Jane."
However, under the deliberate separation enforced by the noble school's teacher, Ali did not dare speak to Jane, lest the teacher grow suspicious and report to Jane's parents. If that happened, they might not even be able to remain pen pals — in the tales of Bards, in the plays, and in the operas, regardless of what the actual relationship between the noble lady and the poor young man might be, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it would be met with fierce opposition from the noble family.
As if sensing Ali's gaze upon her, Jane turned her head slightly, a gentle smile appearing on her face. It set Ali's heart racing and his blood boiling.
"In any case, you won't be disappointed," said Anderson, who had visited the Atomic Institute on a previous tour and now acted as though he were its master — though he was no less nervous and excited. "What will the real starry sky look like…"
That vast starry sky which had borne countless legends and stories, countless beautiful hopes and dreams — what would it really look like?